Amazing Brain Science: Great Brain Reads

By Debra Christopher, MSM | August 14, 2014

New research is giving us some powerful and creative ways to understand what our brains are doing (along with the brains of our students, trainees, clients, patients and colleagues). The principles of neuroscience can help us make a healthy difference in people’s lives.

 

Here are some of the books we’re reading right now that contribute to better understanding of how brains work. Highly recommended!

How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough. How do some children, despite overwhelming odds, succeed in school and beyond? Tough takes a look at qualities that separate successful students from others. The book highlights ways children at both ends of the economic spectrum may be missing these essential life qualities and provides some much-needed suggestions about what we can do about it. A must read!

Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect by Matthew D. Lieberman. Words that come to mind when thinking about this book are “wonderful,” “helpful,” “surprising.” We are social beings in all kinds of ways we don’t generally understand. If we don’t nurture the social part of our lives—our need to connect with others—we can’t succeed. Lieberman explains all of this, then gives us practical guidelines to put the research into practice.

Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain by Daniel J. Siegel. What’s going on in the adolescent brain? What’s driving that challenging, exciting, confusing, heartfelt, risky, inspiring behavior? Siegel helps us understand the what and the why. Then he offers useful and creative tips and tools for working more successfully with the owners of adolescent brains. Geared toward parents, accessible and informative for all.

Debra Christopher, MSM, is Director of Professional and Organizational Development Services at ETR. Contact her at debra.christopher@etr.org.